Articles of knitted hose



Oct. 18, 1966 B. T. R. REYMES-COLE 3,279,220

ARTICLES OF KNITTED HOSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1963 BERWHRTR. Ryfim Oct. 18, 1966 B. T. R. REYME$COLE 3,279,220

ARTICLES OF KNITTED HOSE Filed March 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BERNARD T R. REY/MES 60M United States Patent 3,279,229 ARTICLES 0F KNITTED HQSE Bernard Thornton Reyrnes Reymes-Cole, 27 Station Road, Desford, England Filed Mar. 15, I963, Ser. No. 266,147 Claims. (Cl. 66-187) This invention is for improvements in or relating to articles of knitted hose (which term is used herein to comprise stockings, socks and three-quarter hose) and has for an object to provide an article of hose whereof the toe end of the foot is closed in a neat and effective manner and also a method whereby such hose can be made economically.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a hose having the toe end of the foot formed from a tubular knitted portion of a hose blank and closed along a join line, with the fabric in the region of one or both ends of the join line so constructed as to be compacted in the direction along the wales and thereby shortened as compared with neighbouring parts of the fabric. By so constructing the toeward end of the foot, a neat and shapely toe end closure can be effected with avoidance of bagginess in the fabric of the toeward end of the foot in the neighbourhood of the ends of the closure line.

The fabric in the neighbourhood of the closure line may be knitted as missed stitch (draw stitch and float pattern) or tuck stitch fabric having a suitable concentration of missed stitches or tuck stitches to cause such fabric to be more compacted along the wales, and less capable of being stretched in that direction than is the case with the remaining parts of the fabric forming the toe end part of the foot. In the case of a foot knitted of plain fabric without mesh structure immediately behind the position or positions of one or both ends of the join line may conveniently be knitted with incorporation of missed stitches or tuck stitches in any desired arrangement to give the required compaction of the wales. In the case of a hose having the toe end portion knitted of mesh fabric, for example tuck stitch fabric such as that known as micro-mesh, the said part or parts of the fabric in the region of one or both ends of the join line are conveniently knitted in such manner as to incorporate missed stitches or tuck stitches in greater concentration than the stitches forming the mesh structure of the fabric, so as to secure the required compaction along the wales in relation to the remainder of the fabric.

The compaction of the fabric in the neighbourhood of at least one end of the closure line may be varied in its concentration so as to be greatest in the position adjacent to the end of the closure line and reduced in concentration at positions removed therefrom on opposite sides of said closure line. Since the tendency for bagginess to occur in the fabric is greatest close to an end of the closure line such variation in the compaction of the fabric will assist in securing the required shaping of the fabric.

There may be a band of reinforced fabric, for example spliced fabric, commencing from a closure line and extending to the toe extremity and the required compaction of fabric in the direction along the wales may be secured by modifying the structure of the fabric in the reinforced area.

The invention includes a method of forming a hose which comprises knitting a tubular blank with the foot part thereof so constructed that in an area or areas of fabric in the region of one or both ends of a line along which the toe end of the blank is to be closed the structure is caused to be compacted in the direction along the wales as compared with the fabric at other parts of the toe end of the blank, closing the toe end by connecting superposed portions of the fabric along a join line ex- "ice tending transversely of the fabric, and subsequently boarding the hose using the compaction in the direction along the wales in the area or areas adjoining one or both ends of the join line to bring the adjacent end or ends of the join line close to the board. The foot part of the hose may conveniently be knitted with incorporation of a thermoplastic yarn such as a yarn of man-made fibre, in which case the toe end part of the foot will be set by heat treatment to the shape dictated by the board.

In practising the method the compaction of the fabric along the wales may be effected by knitting the area or areas concerned with a structure incorporating missed stitches or tuck stitches in appropriate concentration. Each area which is compacted in the direction along the wales may be knitted in such manner as to form a distinctive marking to indicate the position for the adjacent end of the join line.

The foregoing and other provisions of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of the foot part of a hose such as a ladies stocking shown laid flat in the completed state,

FIGURES 2 and 3 are views corresponding to FIG. 1 but illustrating modified constructions,

FIGURE 4 is a view of a portion of a laid out tubular blank from which the toe portions of FIGS. 1 and 2 are formed,

FIGURE 5 is a view of the portion of the knitted blank of FIG. 4, shown laid out differently,

FIGURE 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4 but show ing the form of blank used for producing: the toe end of FIG. 3, and

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged views of fabric structures used in compacting the fabric in the direction along the wales where required.

In FIG. )1 the lower part of the hose shown which may be a ladies stocking comprises an ankle part 10, heel 11 and foot and toe parts 12 and 13, the hose being of scamless construction knitted mainly by continuous rotation on a circular knitting machine but with the heel pouch 11 knitted by reciprocation in well known manner. The toe end part 13 is conveniently formed from a reinforced band of fabric the reinforcement commencing from a course line 14 and continuing forwardly to the toe tip. Such reinforcement may be effected by incorporation of a splicing yarn or by substitution of a heavier yarn in place of the normal ground yarn used for knitting the remainder of the hose. The toe end 13 is closed along a join line 15 connecting opposite sides of the fabric and extending from one to the other of the positions indicated at 16 and 17 around the toe tip. The join may be effected by seaming or linking.

In the region of the ends of the join line .15 and just behind such ends within the spliced part forward of the line 14 there are areas 18 and 19 in which the fabric structure is so formed as to be compacted in the direction along the wales and thereby shortened as compared with neighbouring parts of the fabric. This is conveniently provided for by having a suitable concentration of missed or tuck stitches formed when knitting such areas. The concentration may be varied laterally outwardly so that for instance at parts indicated at 1801 and 19a the concentration of the missed or tuck stitches is less than is the case closer to the ends 16 and 17 of the join line. It will be seen that in FIG. 1 the compacted areas 18 and 19 are positioned centrally above and below the toe part and that the join line 15 extends from the top to the bottom of the toe on the top and bottom centre lines thereof.

In the modified construction shown in FIG. 2 the foot end of the hose is knitted entirely by continuous rotary knitting from a thermo-plastic yarn of man-made fibre for example nylon and has its heel 11a shaped by boarding and set to the shape dictated by the board. The toe end part 13 of the hose which is conveniently also a reinforced area extending forwardly from the course line 14 is closed along a horizontal join line 20 by seaming or linking and has areas 21 at each side in which the fabric structure is so formed as to be compacted in the direction along the wales and thereby shortened as compared with neighbouring parts of the fabric. The compaction may be effected by a suitable concentration of missed stitches or tuck stitches and may be graded so that at parts 21a removed from the ends of the join line 20 (one of which ends is shown at 22) the concentration of the missed stitches or tuck stitches is less than at the parts immediately behind the ends 22 of the join line.

The modification shown in FIG. 3 has the ankle part and heel and foot parts 114: and 12 formed as in FIG. 2 and a modified toe end 23 which is reinforced like the part 13 forwardly from a course line 24. The toe end is closed by a join line 25 which extends from the region of the toe tip to a point 27 under the toe on the centre line of the foot bottom. In this modification only one area of fabric compacted in the direction along the Wales is employed being indicated at 28 in the region of the end 27 of the join line. Since the other end 26 of the join line is substantially coincident or positioned only slightly above or below the toe tip the shaping of the toe end can readily be effected without any need for compaction of the fabric in the direction along the wales since there is much less tendency for bagginess of the fabric developing at that point.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate from different aspects a portion of a tubular hose blank which may be knitted by continuous rotary knitting from which the toe end of the foot shown in either FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 can be formed. The hose blank is indicated at 29 and areas in which the fabric is compacted in the direction along the wales are indicated diagrammatically at 30 and 31 these being areas which are formed into the parts 18 and 19 or 21 of the toe end of the foot of the finished hose. The areas 30 and 31 are alike and one of them 30 is shown in FIG. 5 as it appears when the blank 29 is laid flat with its folds positioned mid-Way between the folds of the fiat position of FIG. 4.

In producing the hose, the blank 29 is knitted in normal manner up to a course line 14 after which a band of reinforced fabric 32 is knitted (as a result of a yarn change or introduction of a splicing yarn) to form the toe end 13. Whilst knitting the band 32, groups of needles at opposite positions in the needle circle have their knitting action modified to produce missed stitches or tuck stitches in required concentration to form the areas 30 and 31 which are compacted in the direction along the wales. If the tubular blank 29 is knitted of mesh structure, for example tuck stitch fabric such as that known as micro-mesh the areas 30 and 31 are knitted with their tuck stitches or missed stitches in greater concentration than stitches forming the mesh structure so as to secure the required degree of compaction of the fabric in the direction along the wales. The area of fabric 32 is completed by a course line 33 just beyond which the position of the clo sure line is indicated by a dotted line on a course line at 34. This may be marked by a change of the character in the fabric for example from reinforced to normal fabric or by a change in structure for example a course of slacker than normal loops. The tubular blank laid fiat as in FIG. 4 is then closed along the line 34 by a sewn seam, or by linking, to form the join line or 20, and the surplus fabric is trimmed away just beyond the closure line. Afterwards the blank with its end closed is placed on a board having the required shape of the foot and is drawn on to the board either with the line 34 running along the edge of the toe end of the board as seen at 15 for the construction of FIG. 1 or across opposite faces of the board approximately centrally thereof backwards from the toe tip as at to produce the construction of FIG. 2. If

the hose blank is knitted with a pouch formation such as 11 of FIG. 1 knitting will be performed in such manner as to position the pouch correctly in relation to the compacted areas 30 and 31.

Conveniently the blank is knitted with at least its toe part formed from a thermo-plastic yarn of man-made fibre such as nylon, and when the toe end of the blank has been drawn to the required shape on the board it is set by heat treatment in known manner to cause it to retain the shape dictated by the board.

When the join line is caused to pass from above the toe tip to below it on the upper and lower centre lines of the foot it will generally be preferable to effect the join by linking the parts of the fabric loop to loop so as to form a neat suture devoid of undue bulkiness. The linking or seaming of the join line may be carried out after the blank has been turned inside out so that after joining and again reversing the blank it can then be boarded in a manner which will cause the join line to be less prominent on the outside of the hose.

To assist the operative particularly in the case where closure is effected by linking along the join line each area 30, 31 of fabric which is compacted in the direction along the wales may be knitted in such manner as to form a distinctive longitudinal marking as indicated by the lines 36 in FIGS. 4 and 5 to identify the centre lines of the compacted areas. The operative can then ensure by means of the marking lines 36 that the overlying parts of the blank to be joined are folded exactly at the centres of the coinpacted areas 30 and 31 and in the case of linking to ensure that the linking line is started by joining loops at the correct position. The marker lines 36 may be provided by knitting plain fabric along a small number of wales interposed centrally in the areas 30 and 31 in which the concentration of missed or tuck stitches occurs. Thereby unobtrusive but definite markings as a guide to the operative are provided.

It will be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5 that the formation of the areas 30 and 31 in which the fabric is compacted in the direction along the wales causes the shape of the blank 29 to be modified with the course lines 14 and 33 brought to a wave like form in which they are drawn closer together at the regions of the areas 30 and 31, and that the modified structure also has the effect of constricting the blank somewhat widthwise so that it is drawn in as shown at 35. The compaction of the fabric in the direction along the wales at the areas 30 and 31 prevents these areas from stretching to any appreciable extent when the blank is boarded while permitting the fabric in the areas adjoining those in which the compaction occurs to stretch in the required manner to enable the blank to take up the shape of the board. Thus at the compacted areas 30 and 31 the fabric can fairly readily be drawn close up to the board and cause the ends of the join line 34 also to be brought close up against the board in smooth continuation of the fabric beyond them and without any bagginess of the fabric being produced.

It will'be evident that instead of boarding the toe end of the hose shown in FIG. 1 with the parts of the join line 15 disposed equally above and below the toe tip boarding may be effected with the compacted area 18 nearer to the toe tip than is the compacted area 19 and with the course line 14 slanted rearwardly and downwardly like the line 24 in FIG. 3. The end 16 of the join line 15 may in this case be positioned only a short distance above the toe extremity. v

FIG. 6 shows a portion of a modified knitted blank suitable for use in forming the foot portion as shown in FIG. 3. The blank indicated at 37 is knitted similarly to the blank 29 and has a reinforced part 38 extending from a course line 39. It has however only one area 40 in which the fabric is compacted in the direction along the wales in the manner previously described such area 40 corresponding to the area 30 of FIG. 4. At the opposite sides of the fabric tube no compaction of the fabric occurs.

The reinforced area extends between the course line 39 and a course line 41 beyond which there is indicated by a dotted line 42 the position of the join line. In the construction as in the others described the compaction of the fabric in the area 40 is provided by a suitable concentration of missed stitches or tuck stitches, the concentration of which is greatest close to the centre line 36 and is reduced laterally towards the sides of the area indicated at 40a. If the tubular blank 37 is knitted of a mesh fabric the concentration of missed or tuck stitches in the area 40 would be greater than that of the stitches forming the mesh structure. In the construction of FIG. 6 as in the case of the construction of FIGS. 4 and 5 the reinforced band 38 like the band 32 will not normally be formed of mesh structure even though the unreinforced part is so formed. Consequently the compacted area 40 like the compacted areas and 31-will not be interposed laterally between mesh structure fabric.

When boarding the blank of the form shown in FIG. 6 the junction between the closure line 42 along which the join line 25 is formed and the left hand side of the laid out fabric as seen in FIG. 6 is brought to the toe extremity of the board and the fabric is drawn under the foot of the board during the boarding procedure so as to cause the compacted area 40 to be brought close against the bottom edge of the board and form the area marked 28 in FIG. 3. The upper part of the toe end of the blank has no compacted area as the fabric above the upper end of the join line 25 can be shaped readily to the form of the toe end of the board without introducing any bagginess in the fabric.

FIGS. 7 to 9 show in enlarged view suitable fabric structures which may be employed in forming the compacted areas 36, 31 and 40 in the hose blanks. In FIG. 7 there is shown a four course sequence of a missed stitch structure in which the wales are indicated at 43 to 47 inclusive and the courses are indicated from 48 to 53 inclusive. In the wales 43 and 47, and each fourth wale thereafter in the required area, a knitted loop is formed at each course whereas in the three intervening wales 44, 45 and 46 knitted loops are only formed at each fourth course, that is in courses 49 and 53, and these loops which are indicated at 54 are stretched to extend them over bars of yarn 55 left by the missing of stitches in wales 44 to 46. As the yarn is not drawn to any greater length in the initial formation of the loops 54 the extension of these loops across intervening courses causes the fabric to be compacted in the direction along the wales and less capable of being stretched than is normal fabric.

In FIG. 8 there is a modified structure in which compaction of the fabric occurs in alternative wales indicated at 57, 59 and 61 which intervene between wales 56, 58 and 60 and the next wale beyond wale 61. In the wales 56, 58 and 60 a knitted loop is formed at each course but in wales 57, 59 and 61 loops 62 formed in a course 63 are caused to be extended across bars of yarn 64 left by missed stitches in seven subsequent courses the eighth course indicated at 65 being a repeat of course 63. By stretching the loops 62 over a larger number of courses the fabric tends to be more closely compacted in the direction along the wales than is the fabric shown in FIG. 7 and consequently it could be used for the central parts of the compacted areas 34), 31 and 40 while fabric such as in FIG. 7 or less compacted fabric is provided at the lateral parts of the areas referred to so as to reduce the degree of compaction towards the lateral boundaries of such areas.

In FIG. 9 there is shown a further modified fabric structure in which a 2 x 2 wale sequence is employed. Next to an area having a plain fabric structure indicated at 65 pairs of wales 66 having extended loops are interposed between pairs of normal wales 67. In the wales 66 extended loops are drawn at every fourth course with the needles missing the yarn at intervening courses so that the loops cross three bars of yarn in succeeding courses. Obviously other structures incorporating missed stitch arrangements may be employed to suit particular circumstances. Also, it will be evident that tuck stitch structures corresponding to those shown but having the bars of yarn 55 or 64 taken by the needles to form tuck loops and extended tuck loops as the case may be, or other forms of concentrated tuck stitch fabric, are equally suitable for use in the compacted areas.

Other ways of securing the required compaction of the fabric in the direction along the wales in the areas 30, 31 and 40 are by reduction of loop size in the fabric at these parts as compared with the remainder of the fabric, or by knitting additional part courses in the fabric between the lateral boundaries of the area 30 and 31 in the one case and between the opposite lateral boundaries of the areas 40 in the other case outside the areas in question. It will be evident that the hose may be formed with a non-reinforced toe end in which case the compaction of the fabric at the areas 30, 31 or 461 will be caused to occur in fabric corresponding to that used in the remainder of the foot part of the hose.

The invention is particularly useful in connection with the manufacture of ladies stockings.

What I claim is:

1. A knitted article of hose comprising a foot part with a toe closed along a joined line extending at least substantially along a course line, the toe fabric having areas at least at one end of said join line with missed stitches interspersed with plain stitches, the concentration of missed stitches in said areas being such as to compact the fabric walewise, the degree of compaction varying, being greatest proximate the end of said join line and decreasing in proportion to the distance from the end of the join line.

2. A method of forming a hose which comprises knitting a tubular blank with a localized area at the toe end of the blank having missed stitches interspersed with plain stitches, the courses of knitting in said area being thereby gathered relative to the courses of knitting elsewhere in the toe fabric, the gathering being most pronounced at the center, and being progressively diminished toward each end, of said area, whereby to shape the fabric, and closing the toe by joining superposed portions of the toe fabric along a join line extending at least substantially along a course line and terminating at the center of said area.

3. A method of forming a hose which comprises knitting a tubular blank with diametrically opposite areas at the toe end of the blank having missed stitches interspersed with plain stitches, the courses of knitting in each of said areas being thereby gathered relative to the courses of knitting elsewhere in the toe fabric, the gathering being most pronounced at the center, and being progressively diminished toward each end, of said area, whereby to shape the toe fabric, closing the toe by joining superposed portions of the toe fabric along a join line extending at least substantially along a course line and between the centers of said areas, and boarding the hose with the join line extending along the edge of the board.

4. A method of forming a hose which comprises knitting a tubular blank with a localized area, at the toe end of the blank on the side thereof which is to form the underside of the foot, having missed stitches interspersed with plain stitches, the courses of knitting in said area being thereby gathered relative to the courses of knitting elsewhere in the toe fabric, the gathering being most pronounced at the center, and being progressively diminished toward each end, of said area, whereby to shape the fabric, closing the toe by joining superposed portions of the toe fabric along a join line extending from the top of the toe at least substantially along a course line and terminating at the center of said area, and boarding the hose with the join line extending along the edge of the board.

5. An article according to claim 1 wherein the said areas of the toe fabric have missed stitches of a form in which held loops extend across a plurality of intervening 7 8 courses at which straight bars of yarn extend across the FOREIGN PATENTS held loops. 407,231 3/1934 Great Britain. 599,610 3/1948 Great Britain. References Cited by the Examiner 868,423 5/1961 Great Britain UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Steber Primary Examiner.

2,125,114 7/1938 Kugelman 66-187 RUSSELL C. MADER, DONALD W. PARKER, 2,618,139 11/1952 Siiman 66176 Examiners. 3,085,410 4/1963 Loizillon 66-198 X P. C. FAW, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A KNITTED ARTICLE OF HOSE COMPRISING A FOOT PART WITH A TOW ALONG A JOINED LINE EXTENDING AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG A COURSE LINE, THE TOW FABRIC HAVING AREAS AT LEAST AT ONE END OF SAID JOIN LINE WITH MISSED STITCHES INTERSPERSED WTIH PLAIN STITCHES, THE CONCENTRATION OF MISSED STITCHES IN SAID AREAS BEING SUCH AS TO COMPACT THE FABRIC 